Backboard mounting



Oct. 10, 1933. F c ARMSTRONG 1,929,574

BACKBOARD MOUNTING I Filed Dec. 22, 1932 INVENTOR BY W ATTORNEY terial, are passed.

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 rrso :sTATss "1,929,574. 'BAGKBOARD MOUNTING Frank G. Armstrong, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor to American Telephone and Telegraph Company, a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1932 Serial No. 648,508

14 Claims. (01. 24s -a0) This-invention relates to mountings, and more particularly to backboard mountings for tele phone bell boxes and the like.

Telephone bell boxes are customarily attached 5 to plastered walls immediately above the baseboard. Under present practicaholes. are made in the plaster through which attaching'screws, toggle bolts or other fastening devices, depending uponthe character of the sub-surface ma- Where the sub-suriace'is of Wood lath, the bell box is attached directly on the plaster surface. Where other sub-surfaces are used, such as wire lath, hollow tile, brick and the like, it is customary to attach a wood backboard'to the plaster surface by means of the attaching devices mentioned and to attach the bell box in turn to the wood backboard by means of wood screws. Either of these methods necessarily results in damage to the plaster and its surfacing which is exposed upon removal of the bell box and backboard. As the location and mounting of the bell box have a definite relation to the general appearance of the telephone station, it is'important that the installation be as satisfactory as possible. It is also desirable that injury to the mounting surface upon which the bell box is installed, shall be minimized. It is further desirable, from an economic standpoint, that the installation shall require aminimum of time and expenditure.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a mounting which will present a neat appearance and which may be easily and quickly installed with negligible damage to the mounting surface, and at a minimum expense,

This, and further objects, will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which one modification of the invention is illustrated.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a pere spective view of the improved backboard mounting; Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1 showing the preliminary operation of applying the mounting to a supporting wall, and Fig. 3 is a like view showing the mounting in position and with a bell box applied thereto. 1

The improved mounting, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a punching of suitable metal provided with a plate member or mounting portion 5 which is shown as being of rectangular formation. An opening 6 may be provided in the approximate center of this plate member and serves to prevent magnetic interference with the usual ringer positioned in the bell box.

board 12 by means of screws 13.

Embossed or raisedportions '7 are provided at I each corner of the plate member, and centrally threaded 'openingsthrough the embossed' portions permit the passage of the ends of themachine screws 8. These'screws pass through the rear partition of a rectangular bell box and se cure it to the mounting plate member 5.' The length of the screws and the height of the raised or embossed portions '7, are such as to prevent the ends of the'screws coming into contact with the wall surface 10 against which the mounting plate 5 abuts, as. will be presently described. a

The lower portion of the punching provides an attaching element 11'by which the improved backboard mounting may be affixed to a base- These screws pass through openings 14 in the attaching element and into the base 12. The attaching element 11 in its normal unmounted position, extends inwardly or at an angle to the plane of 1 the flat surface of the mounting plate 5, as shown in Fig. 1. When in mounted position, this attaching element assumes a plane parallel to that of said mounting plate, as may be seen in 8 Fig. 3. 7

An outwardly curved flexible portion 15 lies intermediate the mounting plate 5 and the attaching element 11, and interconnects these portions. The flexible portion 15 is adapted to 8 clear protruding base mouldings 16, and is of such flexibilitythat the improved mounting may be applied and secured in position on a supporting wall, as shown in Fig. 3. The spring action which is developed by the flexible portion 15 forces the mounting plate 5 to assume a flush position against the supporting wall 10 above the baseboard 12. It is securely held in this position by pressure of the spring. The bell box 9 which is mounted on this plate is accordingly caused to assume a like position. A series of braces or ribs 17 are provided at the junction point of the mounting plate 5 and the upper part of the curved portion 15, and a like series of braces or ribs 18 are also provided at the junction of the lower part of the portion 15 and the attaching element 11. These braces or ribs prevent bending at said junction points, and thereby increase the spring action of the curved portion15.

An aperture 19 is shown extending 'through the curved portion 15 which may permit the passage. of the usual telephone line wires 22 entering the bell box.

It will be apparent that by means of this im- 1,

proved arrangement, the bell box is held firmly against the supporting wall without screws being used to fasten it to the wall above the baseboard, thereby eliminating any possibility of damage to the wall surface. It will also be apparent that a considerable saving is involved in this installation, and that it presents a neat appearance. 7

What is claimed is:

1. A backboard mounting for bell boxes whereby the bell box may be secured to a wall having the usual baseboard and moulding, said backboard comprising a plate to which the bell box may be secured, an attaching element adapted to be affixed to the baseboard, and a curved flexible element intermediate the attaching element and said plate, said curved element having such flexibility as to press the plate flush against the wall surface above the baseboard.

2. A backboard mounting for bell boxes whereby the bell box may be secured to a wall having the usual baseboard and moulding, said board comprising a plate member having a flat surface to which the bell box may be secured, an attaching member adapted to be amxed to the baseboard, and a flexible member connecting the plate member and attaching member, said flexible member exerting such spring action upon the plate member when the attached member is aflixed to the baseboard'as to press said plate member flush against the wall surface above the baseboard.

3. A punching forming a backboard mounting for'bell boxes whereby the bell box may be 35 secured to a wall having the usual baseboard and baseboard moulding, said backboard comprising a plate member having a flat surface to which the bell box may be secured, an attaching member normally lying at an angle to the plane of the plate member and adapted to be afiixed to the baseboard, and a flexible member intermediate the plate member and attaching member and being curved to clear said base moulding, said flexible member exerting such spring action upon the plate member when the attaching member is aflixed to the baseboard as to press said plate member flush against the wall surface above the baseboard and baseboard moulding, said attaching member when in fixed position assuming a plane parallel to the plate member.

4. A backboard mounting for bell boxes whereby the bell box may be secured to a wall having the usual baseboard and moulding, said backboard comprising a plate to which the bell box may be secured, an attaching element adapted to be aifixed to the baseboard, a curved flexible element intermediate the attaching ele-.

ment and said plate, said curved element having such flexibility as to press the plate flush against the wall surface above the baseboard, and means provided at the junction point of the plate memher and flexible member and at the junction point 

